Antibiotic Prescribing Practices

Introduction

1 in 4000 chance that an antibiotic will help most acute upper respiratory infections
1 in 4 chance antibiotic will cause diarrhea
1 in 50 chance antibiotic will cause skin reaction
1 in 1000 chance antibiotic cause an ER visit
antibiotics can lead to more resistant infections that are harder to treat
patients exposed to antibiotics for urinary tract infection or respiratory tract infections subsequently harbor bacteria resistant to those antibiotics; this effect is strongest immediately following antibiotic exposure but persists for as long as 12 months [4]

Journal Watch 24(19):153, 2004 Welschen I, Kuyvenhoven MM, Hoes AW, Verheij TJ. Effectiveness of a multiple intervention to reduce antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract symptoms in primary care: randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2004 Aug 21;329(7463):431. Epub 2004 Aug 05. <PubMed> PMID: [1] <Internet> [2]
Coca A & Mainous AG Relation of time spent in an encounter with the use of antibiotics in pediatric office visits for viral respiratory infections Arch Pedriatr Adolesc Med 2005; 159:1145 PMID: [3]
Prescriber's Letter 15(10): 2008 COMMENTARY: Antibiotic Overuse POSTER: Cold or Flu. Antibiotics Don't Work for You Handout: Cold or Flu. Antibiotics Don't Work for You Detail-Document#: [4] (subscription needed) [5]
Costelloe C et al. Effect of antibiotic prescribing in primary care on antimicrobial resistance in individual patients: Systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ 2010 May 18; 340:c2096 PMID: [6]
National Guideline Clearinghouse
- Respiratory tract infections - antibiotic prescribing. Prescribing of antibiotics for self-limiting respiratory tract infections in adults and children in primary care. ngc-guideline: [7]